1. Benefits of Culturally
and Linguistically
Diverse Classrooms
Bonnie Orr
Walden University
Jeri Corey
Literacy in Culturally and
Linguistically Diverse Classrooms:
READ 6718
November 22, 2015
2. Who is Student A?
Grade: Junior Kindergarten
Boy
Age 5
Home language: Spanish
Attending a rural, public school
From a low-socioeconomic family
Two younger siblings
Is one of six boys in a classroom of twelve
3. Socioeconomic Background
Father is disabled, is in a wheelchair, does not
work and speaks only Spanish
Mother works in the home and speaks only
Spanish
Qualifies for free lunch
4. What are Student A’s Academic
Challenges?
Student has difficulty forming complete sentences
Incorrect pronoun use when speaking about himself
Difficulty learning letter names
Does not have Concept of Word
Has no Phonemic Awareness
Scores are well below the benchmark on DIBELS
Can only count to 10
Can only recognize numbers to 5
5. Funds of Knowledge
Funds of knowledge is the knowledge that comes
from the students’ home environments and from their
culture (Marshall & Toohey, 2010).
6. Funds of Knowledge
Linguistic
Fluent in Spanish
Dr. Helman states that one way to value linguistic diversity is to
help students take steps toward learning standard academic
English (Laureate Education, Inc., 2014s).
7. Funds of Knowledge
Cultural
Student A visits Mexico for an extended period of
time once a year to visit family
8. Funds of Knowledge
Family
Student A is supported to attend school regularly by
both mother and father
Mother and father support Student A’s school
attendance
Student A is the oldest of three children in the family
9. Funds of Knowledge
Experiences
Student A has visited Mexico regularly
Student A lived in Las Vegas for four years
Student A witnessed his father’s recovery from a
construction accident (father is in a wheelchair)
10. Funds of Knowledge
Practical
Enjoys playing with other students
Participates in classroom discussions and activities
Enjoys being read to
Student A is a hard worker and is actively engaged
during small group work
11. Strengths Related to Literacy
Expectations Of The CCSS
Student A actively participates in choral readings of
nursery rhymes or pattern books which improve his
English language skills.
Student A is able to correctly identify five sight words.
Student A is able to produce twenty out of thirty-one
letter sounds.
Student A is able to identify the back cover, front cover,
page by page, top line, and where to start reading.
12. Challenges Related to Literacy
Expectations Of The CCSS
Student A does not possess the essential academic vocabulary
that is necessary to experience success in many aspects of junior
kindergarten.
According to ¡Colorín colorado! (2011), English language proficiency standards act as a
starting point for identifying the language that ELLs must develop to successfully access
and negotiate content in and beyond the classroom.
When asked to retell a story, Student A is not able to articulate
main idea, characters, and key details.
Student A is unable to independently produce and recognize
rhyming words or pictures.
Student A has no Concept of Word which is essential to
participating in formal literacy instruction.
Student A is only able to identify six upper and lower case
letters.
13. References
¡Colorín colorado! (2011). Common Core State Standards for English language
learners. Retrieved from http://www.colorincolorado.org/common-core/
Laureate Education (Producer). (2014s). Valuing linguistic diversity [Video file].
Baltimore, MD: Author.
Marshall, E., & Toohey, K. (2010). Representing family: Community funds of
knowledge, bilingualism, and multimodality. Harvard Educational Review, 80(2),
221–241.
